Herbology night
by Tygrvampire13
Summary: Neville and Harry ficlet. Slash. If you don't like this, please don't read.


Harry sighed. The Quidditch team, newly reinstated and reformed for his 6th year, were trudging in from the nasty weather storming outside. It had been raining harder than he had ever thought nature could possible manage, and he was covered from slicked hair to cold feet in mud. To top it off, the practice had, in effect, been a wash out.

"Okay guys, that was not a good practice. We'll just have to hope that this weather doesn't continue into the game next Saturday," Harry informed the team.

Ron groaned, "We are playing Slytherin. They'll knock me off my broom."

Harry grinned, "Don't kid yourself. They've never practiced out in the gale winds and rain. Too worried about messing up their hair, I wager."

Everyone laughed and said their goodbyes, heading toward their respective common rooms. Harry, Ron, and Ginny laughed amongst themselves as they trudged through the halls. "So, we waited for a few minutes, then set off one of Fred and George's Never-ending Snap Dragons. Snape was so angry, he stormed out of the dungeon."

They walked through the portrait after repeating the password ("Devil's snare? Their losing their originality..."), and found Hermione and Neville discussing an exceptionally complicated plant system. Neville turned, "Look what the cat drug in."

Hermione grinned, "Bad Crookshanks. Filch is going to be very angry now." Said cat purred and ran toward Ron and Harry, thought better of rubbing up against them, and scampered back to Neville and settled on his lap.

Ron rolled his eyes, "I'm going to shower and head to bed. G'night."

Ginny yawned hugely, vainly trying to rub mud from her face, "Same here. Good night all."

Searching the room, Harry found his school bag he had left out before going to practice, and drug it to the couch next to Neville, "I believe I'll stay up and study with you, if you don't mind."

Hermione shrugged, "Leave that to Neville, I'm off to bed. He can help you for once."

Neville grinned, "No problem at all. I'm not the least bit tired, and I can help Harry with something that I am actually good at."

Harry rolled his eyes, "You're good at plenty, Neville. Good night Hermione."

They watched her slim form disappear out of the fireplace light, and then turned back to one another. Neville watched Harry pull out his Herbology textbooks. He loved watching those strong hands.

He shook his head. _Don't think about that, you nancy boy_, Neville thought to himself. Out loud, he asked, "So, what are you having trouble with?'

Harry's face looked contemplative for a moment, then replied, "Everything."

Neville grinned, "Very broad subject, Harry. Let's narrow it down to things I can help with." He saw Harry grab a couch pillow and throw it at him. He deflected it easily, picking it up from the floor and placing it on the couch he was sitting on.

"Okay, well, I'll go through everything that should be on the review exam tomorrow, and then we can deduce what you don't understand."

Harry nodded, pulling off his Quidditch robes and laying them on a wooden chair next to the fire. Neville's eyes watched as he then pulled off his sweater, undershirt clinging to the sweater to reveal a tanned, muscular stomach. _Oh my_.

After taking off his socks and shoes, Harry padded over to his friend, and plopped down on the couch next to him, "Oh Herbology master, teach me all you know."

Neville coughed, "I'm sorry Harry, I haven't got years to teach you, only a few hours."

Harry laughed, "Neville, you arse." He looked over at Neville as he gathered his notes to start quizzing Harry. Since last year, he had become very confident around himself, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny. Especially himself. Due to his father's wand breaking last year during the incident at the Department of Mysteries, he had bought a new one, and his magick had greatly improved. Neville was no longer the stuttering shy boy from first year, but the strong, confident, intelligent boy that now sat in front of him. He liked this boy much better...liked him much more than a normal boy should.

"Harry, are you paying attention to a word I'm saying?"

"No."

Neville grinned, "At least you're honest. I was asking you to name the properties of an Abyssinian shrivelfig."

Harry sat dumbstruck. _Had we covered this?_

"Can you tell me what potion it's used in?"

_Wait, I know this..._They had recovered that this year in potions...Sinking...Shrunked... "Shrinking solution?"

Neville face lighted up, "Yes Harry, that's correct!"

Harry felt a glow of pleasure coarse through him at seeing Neville's heartfelt grin.

They continued studying, covering nearly two years worth of information, and Harry found that he remembered much more than he originally thought he did. He was glad for this, seeing as how whenever he answered a difficult question correctly, he was graced with Neville's handsome grin once again.

Neville glanced at his watch, "Okay, better quit. It's one in the morning, and you must be tired."

Harry leaned back a little and sighed, "Actually, this is the most comfortable and relaxed I've been in quite a while."

Neville stopped his motion to put his books away and turned to look at his companion. His eyes widened in shock at how relaxed Harry did look, curled up against the arm of the couch, eyes closed. His tanned face was completely slack, appearing unlined and unworried in the flickering firelight. It had become so normal to see Harry tense and worried, that this was new to him. On its own accord, Neville's hand reached out and stroked Harry's cheek.

He heard a deep moan in response to this action. Neville's mind started racing. _Oh no, what am I doing? He's going to hate me now...I should leave...but I want to stay so badly...wrap myself in those strong arms._ Neville shook his head. _I can't do this to Harry...I have to get out of here..._

He jerked his hand away and grabbed his bag, leaped off the couch and ran to the stairs. He didn't hear Harry yell his name. He didn't hear Harry run after him and stumble on the stairs, rolling back down them. He could only feel the tears running down his face and only hear the thoughts running rampant in his mind. _He doesn't want you, how could he? You're only Neville, his klutzy acquaintance. Don't fool yourself into thinking anyone could want you._

Upon reaching the dorm, he slowly eased the door open and quickly entered the room. He heard three sleeping forms, curled up behind their curtains. Neville trudged over to his own bed, letting the bag fall to the ground. Collapsing on his own bed, he tried to clear his mind and stop the tears.

He'd liked Harry for the better part of a year, and wrote him often over the summer, to check on him and see how he was doing. They had become great friends, tied together by common purpose and experience.

He didn't know what to do now. Harry would never like him like that. He often suspected something between Ron and Harry, despite Harry's temporary fling with Cho. But, soon he concluded that was very wrong, seeing as how Ron was obviously in love with Hermione and at a loss for how to get her attention. And Harry had no apparent interest in anyone...

The dorm door opened, creaking slowly to reveal a sliver of light. He heard familiar footsteps sound in the room, the form closing the door behind him. The footsteps were getting closer to his bed. _Oh no!_ He slowed his breathing and made it deeper.

They stopped right next to him. He heard the barest of a whisper say, "Neville, you are not asleep. I can't believe you are running from this. I know you are braver than that." His bed dipped down, the person now sitting on his bed continued, "Neville, do you like me?"

It had come. It was now or never. He could tell Harry, and there was a chance he would like him back...or not tell him and keep to himself forever. He tried to say 'yes', but his throat was too dry.

"What?"

_C'mon, you idiot, saying it!_ Neville opened his eyes and turned to see Harry, his emerald eyes twinkling in the moonlight behind his glasses. "Yes."

A warm hand covered his own that was lying on his chest. Looking, he saw Harry's long, tan fingers covering his short, pale ones. Harry saw Neville look hopefully up at him, almost hardly believing what was happening.

Harry continued whispering so as not to wake anyone up, "I have a confession to make as well." He leaned down so that he was even with Neville's ear. He heard Harry's warm, dulcet voice and felt his light breath on his ear, "I like you as well."

Having Harry this close was intoxicating. Had he heard him correctly? Neville turned his head and stared into Harry's eyes. Harry's breath was coming quicker, being merely inches away from Neville's face. Neville's hand came up and ran its fingers through his black and unruly hair, and stopped at the back of his head.

Harry closed the space between them, lightly pressing his lips against Neville's. Neville thought he could die in ecstasy right then and there. His lips were slightly chapped from being outside for many hours, but melded against his perfectly. It was so much more than he had imagined. Happiness welled up in him, nothing in comparison to the most potent cheering charm.

Then he felt Harry's tongue brush against his lips. He tentatively opened his mouth. He'd never kissed anyone before, besides his relatives...but that was nothing compared to this. A soft tongue slipped into his mouth, brushing lightly against his own tongue. He felt himself getting extremely turned on by this whole experience, but couldn't bring himself to stop it. He slid his own tongue into Harry's hot mouth, moving his lips against Harry's and rubbing a hand against his strong chest.

All of the sudden, Neville felt something furry rub against his foot, and yelled in surprise, pushing Harry off the bed. Looking down, he saw Crookshanks gazing at him in alarm. He heard laughing from the floor. "Stupid cat..."

Harry's grinning face appeared in front of him again. "Well, Mr. Longbottom, I should head off to bed if I want to pass that review exam."

Neville grinned and nodded, "Of course, Mr. Potter. We can't have you failing." He leaned forward and chastely kissed Harry on the lips.

Harry's face darkened a bit, "So...where does this leave us?"

He saw Neville's grin only get bigger, "Well, apparently I should have imparted more knowledge earlier. I do believe we are labeled under the status of 'Going Out', if I am not mistaken."

Harry's face brightened, "Yes, I believe we are. G'night."

"Good night Harry." _I love you._


End file.
